The present invention relates to cutting devices generally, and is more particularly related to cutting devices having two jaws or blades which are actuated toward each other so as to perform a cutting function, and is more specifically related to such devices which have a retaining means which will hold a portion of an object which has been cut or severed so that the severed portion of the object may be retained within the device.
Cutting devices which have two jaws or blades actuated toward each other by means of handles are well known in the art. Such devices include scissors, bolt cutters, garden shears, nail clippers, and many other devices which are similar in operation, but which are particularly adapted to specified functions.
A few of such devices found in the prior art have a retaining means which holds the portion of the object which has been severed within the device so that the severed portion does not fall away, but is held by the device for the desired disposition of the severed portion.
These devices use a retaining means in some pivotal relationship with the jaws or blades which holds the severed portion against one of the jaws or blades. Mori et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,326, discloses such a device wherein a retaining means holds a severed branch against a shear element. In Mori et al '326, the retaining means is manually actuated, such by an index finger, separately from the normal actuation and operation of the shear elements by means of the portions (handles). In Mori et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,592, the retaining means is actuated by the movement of the shear elements as they are actuated by the handles. The retaining means is actuated so as to hold the severed portion of the object by the abutment of an edge of the shear element against the retaining means.
In Mori et al., '326, the retaining means is not operable without the separate, manual operation of it apart from the normal use of the shearing device by displacement of the handles toward each other. In Mori et al., '592, the retaining means is actuated by the normal movement of the handles to actuate the shear elements by the hard abutment of an edge of one shearing element against the retaining means. Such actuation tends to put too much pressure on the retaining element, and potentially at the wrong time, meaning that the object which is severed must be large enough or the severed portion will not be retained within the device. If the object is too large, the shearing elements of the device may not fully and properly close against each other so as to sever the object.
Ishida et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,692, likewise uses a retaining member which is actuated as the handles of the device are actuated to cause the blades to close and cut. Again, however, this device uses contact between an edge of an opposite blade to abut against and actuate the retaining means.